The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-10
HENRY sERon's WORK.
How His First Efforts Were Rfdiculed b.
His Opponents.

How HIS First Efforts Were Rfdiouled by
His Opponents.
When James Buchanan was Presi-
dent of the United States, Mr.. Henry
Bergh was appointed Secretary of the
American Legation at st. Petersburg.
1t was in this far-of Russian city that
the movement for the suppression of
cruelty to animals began. The fact,
however. is not greatly to the credit of
St. Petersburg.It was not the humanity,
but the cruelty, which existed there
that suggested to Mr. Bergh his future
work. As he used to drive through the
streets of St. Petersburg he was filled
with horror at the cruelty to horses
which he saw about him. On many
occasions he would stop his own car
riage and expostulate with some brutal
driver. His interference was gener-
ally. successful. The Russian drivers
would be terrified when they saw a
carriage of state stop, and received a
sharp reprimand from the uniformed
representative of a great Government.
Ihis absurd Russian W of Govern
mental authority enabled Mr.. Berght to
carry on his humane work without the
assistance of any law upon his side, or
any organization supporting him.
In 1866 MI. Bergh had returned to
New York. He was a gentleman of
property and leisure, and he deter
mined to devote himself to defending
the rights of animals. He called a
meeting of those in sympathy with him,
and secured the financial backing of
| several men of wealth. One of these,
MI. Elbridge Gerry, gave not only his
financial support, but his moral and
political support, becoming an avowed
advocate of Mr.. Bergh's plans. Through
his influence bills were carried through
the Legislature making wanton cruelty
to animals a punishable offense. For
awhile the society which was organized
worked on in obscurity, but before the
| year was owe an event occurred which
made it one of the best-known i~nstitu-
tons in the city.
A cargo of turtles had been landed
| upon the docks, and the turtles made
fast by being turned upon their backs
and having spikes driven through their
fippers. Mr.. Bergh ordered the arrest
| of the captain and the entire crew.
When the case came up for trial the
newspapers were full of it. Some Of
| them ridiculed the idea of ''bringing a
turtle into court" The line of argu-
ment pursued by the defense was that
of ridicule. The counsel for the de-
tense even took the ground that a turtle
was not an animal. Mr.. Bergh plead
his own case. He took the broad posi-
| ton that the wanton inf1iction of suf-
fering is a crime, and that any created
| thing which feels is entitled to protec-
ton. The case went against him, but he
had made his plea to the entire reading
| public, and had enlisted upon his side
a vast number of supporters. A few
days later the Herald published a page
of interviews between Mr.. Bergh and
the representatives of different kinds
Of animals. Mr.. Bergh was supposed
to be holding his curt in Union Square,
and dog, the horse, the OK, etc., in
turn came before him and presented
their grievances. There was nothing
of the burlesque about these inter-
views; they were soberly and seriously
sympathetic. The work was now well
before the public. The next Legisla-
ture amended the laws so as to make
convictions possible, and the society
went steadily ahead.-Christidn Union.